Drawn to You

by Jillian Anselmi

  “Are you done?” My voice is laced with sarcasm.

  “Yes, I’m sorry. You need to be wet. This way when you fall in it won’t be such a shock.”

  “Fall in?” My apprehension is back in full force.

  “Don’t worry, I’ve got you,” he murmurs. “Stay here, I’ll get the board.” He wades back to shore and grabs the board and the paddle. It’s a good thing the waves are calm this morning or this would be a bad idea.

  He brings the board over and places the paddle on top. “Okay, climb on.” He motions to the board. I wade over to the board and lift myself up. He gets on behind me. I’m sitting, too intimidated to stand. He sits behind me, swinging his legs to either side of the board and starts to paddle away from shore.

  “Where are you going?”

  “The waves are smaller away from shore,” he states. Once he’s satisfied with the distance, he leans in toward my ear. “Time to stand.”

  I’m frozen in place. I can’t move. “I can’t.” All I can hear in my head is the Jaws theme. Duh-duh-du-du-du-du.

  “It’s okay, I’ve got you,” he says calmly. He stands up behind me. I spin so I am facing him and give him my hand. He slowly pulls me up and puts his hands on my waist to steady me. “Okay, now turn around.” I comply until I am facing forward. He still has his hands on my hips.

  “I’m going to give you the paddle so I can hold on to you until you can steady yourself.” His voice is serene, trying to calm me.

  “Okay,” I croak out. He passes me the paddle, one hand firm on my hip. With my toes gripping the board, I place the paddle in the water. The board starts to move a bit at a time. Chase moves closer so my back is touching his front.

  “You’re doing great,” he says full of encouragement. “I thought you’ve never done this before.” I pick up the paddle out of the water to move it back when a wave hits the side of the board. I lose my balance and plunge into the water ass first.

  I resurface coughing and sputtering and look up at Chase. He’s laughing at me, the fucker. I’m glad he finds me amusing.

  “Let me help you up,” he says chuckling. I glare up at him. He bites his lip to stifle further amusement and adopts a serious face. “Take my hand.” I swim back to the board, and with ease, he lifts me onto the board and into his arms. He holds my face with both hands and gazes down at me. “Are you okay?” he asks, placing a soft kiss on my forehead.

  “Yes,” I mutter petulantly.

  “Why don’t you stand behind me with your hands around my waist? I’ll paddle,” he suggests. That sounds like a good idea. I make my way behind him. It isn’t an easy task. The board is moving with the waves, and I don’t want to lose my balance again. Holding on to his waist, I turn and move my feet to the other side of the board. I plant my feet firmly on the board, thread my arms between his, and lock my fingers around his stomach.

  He takes the paddle and starts to move. The way the muscles in his back and arms flex and extend makes my heart beat faster than it is already. His physique is amazing. My arms are tight around his waist, and his abs are rock hard. I lean against his back and close my eyes. The sound of his breathing has a calming effect, and I almost forget I am in the middle of the ocean.

  “You okay back there?”

  “Yeah, perfect.”

  “Have you had enough yet?”

  “Yes,” I answer far too quickly. He chuckles and paddles on one side of the board to turn it toward shore. “As much as I enjoy you hanging on to me for dear life, you need to let go now.”

  I let go, steadying myself with my hands on his hips. When he gets closer to shore he jumps off the board, leaving me standing there trying to keep balance. Chase hooks an arm around the front of the board and pulls me in toward shore.

  I crouch down into a squatting position then sit Indian style on the board while he tows me in to the beach. I scoot off the board into the surf and wade back toward shore, Chase carrying the board behind me. I grab my towel and lay it down on the sand. I flop down face first. That was exhausting!

  I turn my head to see Chase place the board down in the sand. He grabs his towel and sits down next to me.

  “Did you have fun?” He’s mocking me, the bastard.

  “Sort of,” I reply. “Once you started to paddle.” I turn so I am lying on my side, my arm under my head.

  “Yes, you were really holding on weren’t you,” he says in jest, a giant smile on his beautiful face. I can’t help but to grin back.

  “You let me fall,” I complain.

  “I wasn’t going to let anything happen to you.” Leaning towards me, he brushes some sand off my cheek. He moves so he’s lying next to me. He leans up on one elbow, gazing down at me. His other hand moves a tendril of hair that fell in my eyes. He bends and plants a sweet kiss on my lips.

  I lean up toward him, and we kiss, our tongues caressing each other, passionate and needy. I run my fingers through his wet unruly hair. He groans deep in his throat, causing my breath to quicken.

  He breaks off and moves closer, his hand still behind my head in my hair sending tingles all over. He tugs my earlobe in his teeth, and I moan softly. Trailing kisses from the back of my ear to my chin, he finds my mouth again. He kisses me sweetly, slowly. Stopping, he gazes down at me breathless. I am a quivering mess. “We can continue this later,” he breathes. Nooooo! I would fuck him right here on the beach, not caring if anyone watched. I lose all self-control when I am around him.

  Staring up at him, I try to get my breathing under control. He smiles, and I’m lost again.

  He quickly stands up, running his fingers through his hair. Helping me up, he pulls me close and kisses the top of my head. “Drinks tonight?” He is pure seduction. I nod in agreement, still swooning. “Seven o’clock okay?”

  “Yes,” I whisper. He grabs his board then walks down the beach back toward his house. Sweet Jesus.

  I fall back on the sandy beach a hot mess. I lay looking up at the puffy cumulous clouds still reeling. I can’t get over the fact that this man, this gorgeous, sexy, hot as fuck man, wants me. There are a zillion other girls on this beach, and he wants me. And boy, do I want him. My head is spinning with the idea. I should go back to the house so I can take a nap. I have a feeling I’m going to be up late tonight, and I can’t wait.

  It’s six thirty when Brenda and I finish up dinner. I’m getting ready to go over to the Casino, but I’m all fidgety. I don’t know why I’m so nervous. Maybe it’s the way Chase was touching me today. It was so sexual, erotic even. It got me all hot and bothered. Evan never touched me like that. Evan never made me feel like that. This is all new to me, and I like it. A lot.

  I make my way down the walk toward the bar. I have wedges on so I don’t want to walk too fast. It is gorgeous out tonight, full moon shining bright over the ocean. It’s picturesque, like a painting. I make my way up the steep steps that take me to the bar.

  It’s pretty crowded for a Tuesday. Oh, crap! Karaoke night! There is nothing I loathe more than karaoke. There isn’t enough alcohol behind the bar to get me to stand up there and sing. I never understood the fascination with drunken singing. I mean, most people are bad enough when they’re sober. As long as we sit outside, we should escape unscathed.

  It’s just before seven, and I haven’t seen Chase yet. I get a drink from the outside window and look around. Most of the crowd is inside, thank the Lord. I make my way over to the ocean side of the deck, lean on the railing, and wait. And wait. And wait. Where is he? I make my way inside the bar, seeing if he might be waiting there. I scan the room, and although it’s packed, I don’t see him. It’s now seven fifteen, and he’s not here.

  Maybe he forgot. No, he was insistent on meeting here at seven. Made it a point to tell me several times. I doubt he forgot. Maybe he fell asleep? I’ll give him ten more minutes. If he isn’t here by then, I’ll go find him.

  Ten minutes come and go, and he’s still not here. I make my way back down the walk and stand in front of his cot
tage. I can hear muffled noises coming from inside. I knock on the door and wait. Nothing. I knock again, this time with a little more vigor. A blonde bimbo comes to the door and opens it part way.

  “Yeah?” she slurs. Wow, I think the door is holding her up.

  “Um . . . is Chase here?”

  “Nope.” Umm . . . okay. It seems she has an extensive vocabulary. Someone comes from behind her and opens the door wider. It’s a young dark haired guy, one of Chase’s friends from college that is staying there with him.

  “Can I help you?” At least he’s cordial. Blonde bimbo stumbles back inside.

  “I’m looking for Chase,” I say.

  “He left about an hour ago, had to go back to the mainland for something. Are you Olivia?”

  “Umm . . . yes.” I stutter.

  “He told me to tell you if you came by that he was sorry and that he’ll make it up to you.”

  “Oh, okay. Could you please tell him that I was here?”

  “Sure, but I don’t think he’s going to be back tonight.” His tone is reticent, almost like he’s hiding something. He turns and closes the door. I just stand there speechless. I wonder what is so important that Chase needed to go back to the mainland this time of night. I head back to my cottage to sulk.

  “I thought you were going to the Casino?” Brenda asks puzzled.

  “I thought so too; although, it’s just as well. It’s karaoke night.” I am quite irritated.

  “Ugh, no thanks,” Brenda agrees with me. “So what happened?”

  “Chase went back to the mainland for something.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know. But I think his roommate knows more than he let on. It seemed like he was hiding something.”

  “They probably ran out of expensive wine or something,” she quips.

  “Brenda! Be nice,” I scold. “I don’t know. My gut tells me there is more to this story.”

  “Doesn’t he have your cell number?”

  “No, I never got around to giving it to him. I mean, we were right next door from each other. I could have yelled from here, and he would have heard me.”

  “Well, I’m sure you’ll find out tomorrow.”

  “I guess so.” But I’m not so sure.

  “I was just about to pick out a movie. Why don’t you go and make some popcorn,” she suggests.

  I head over to the kitchen, grab the popcorn bag, and toss it in the microwave. I think of all of the possible reasons that could be important enough for him to stand me up and go back to the mainland. I’m at a loss. I don’t know Chase well enough to have any idea why he needed to go back. I decide to put it out of my head for now and not dwell.

  I find a bowl for the popcorn just as the microwave dings. With the popcorn in the bowl, I pour a glass of pinot grigio and head back into the living room.

  “What are you in the mood for?” Brenda asks.

  “I don’t care, just no tear jerkers. Not tonight.”

  “Okay, one natural disaster movie coming up.” She knows how much I love natural disaster movies. The bigger the disaster the better. “How’s ‘The Day After Tomorrow?” She smiles an all knowing smile. That movie has everything and is one of my all-time favorites. Does she know me or what?

  “Perfect.” My bestie knows me better than anyone, including Evan. Maybe I should use this opportunity to tell her about my trip to the mainland. She’ll feel sorry for me since Chase bailed, and maybe she won’t hurt me too bad. “Bren, can I tell you something without you getting mad?” I ask as she’s putting in the DVD.

  “Um, I can’t give you any guarantees. You know how impulsive I am.” She gives me a devilish smile as she plops back down on the couch.

  “I know, just don’t pick up any sharp objects, and we should be okay.”

  “Olivia! What did you do?” she asks sternly.

  She’s going to kill me. I look around to make sure there is nothing she can throw at me. “Wait, I need alcohol for this.” I run back into the kitchen and grab the bottle. Better to have it in reach. I come back and she has an any-day-now look on her face. The impatient one she gets when I stall. I take a seat on the chair across from her, out of her reach.

  “Spill it.”

  “Okay.” I take a deep breath. “I took a quick trip back home to see Evan today.” I duck behind a throw pillow as she launches the remote at me.

  “Are you fucking kidding me? Are you insane?” She shifts to sit Indian style facing me, her arms waving wildly. I know if she starts talking with her hands, she’s really pissed.

  “Um, yeah, but what does that have to do with me seeing Evan?” I try for some light humor. It doesn’t work.

  “Mad?” She tries to rein in her anger, but I can see she is failing. “Liv, I’m furious. Why would you torment yourself like that?” I know she’s not mad at me, but her concern for my wellbeing is bordering on irrational.

  “I needed closure,” I mutter almost under my breath.

  “Closure? I can give you closure. He fucked your roommate, end of story. Done. There’s your closure.”

  “No, I needed to know why.”

  “What the fuck does it matter?”

  “It matters to me. I wanted to know if it was something I did.” If I did something to make him cheat, I want to know what it was so I don’t do it again.

  “Oh, Liv,” she sighs. “And what did the cheating fuck say?”

  “Not much. He begged for me to come back to him.”

  “Please, don’t tell me you are considering it?” she says irritated.

  “I didn’t say that,” I say. “He was so sincere, so remorseful.”

  “Of course he was.” Her voice drips with sarcasm. “But that doesn’t excuse what he did.”

  “I know.” I close my eyes and sigh. “I still love him, but ever since meeting Chase . . .” I trail off. Thinking about how Chase makes me feel makes me miss him even more.

  “Look. I don’t know what’s going on with you and Chase, but I can see that you’ve been happier these past few days with him than you ever were with Evan.” She pats the couch next to her. I reluctantly get up and sit next to her. “Chase cares about you. I’m not saying run off and marry him but just let things happen.”

  “I want to. He makes me feel so wanted, special.”

  “It’s always when you’re not looking for love that it finds its way into your heart.” She scoots over and gives me a great big best friend hug. She knows me better than I know myself.

  I wake up Wednesday mid-morning to pouring rain. Every day can’t be a beach day. Brenda is still sound asleep, but she was always a late sleeper. I wander into the kitchen to make coffee. I choose a caramel pod and shove it into the Keurig. Looking out the sliding glass doors, I notice the ocean looks very angry. Must be a big storm for the waves to be this large. I grab my cup, add some milk and a Splenda, and head into the living room to check out the weather.

  I turn on the news just in time. According to the NWS, there is a line of severe weather over our region producing strong thunderstorms and hail. Wonderful. This looks to be an all day event. I go over to the hall closet and pull out some candles just in case.

  Back in the kitchen, I notice it’s getting windy, so I run outside to grab the patio umbrella that I left open. Every year, I forget to close the umbrella during a storm and it always winds up down the beach all mangled. I quickly close it and run back into the house. Soaked, I make a half assed attempt to dry myself off. It’s useless, so I decide to take a shower before the weather gets any worse and we don’t have any electric or hot water.

  Brenda is up and around when I get out of the bathroom. “You might want to shower now,” I say glancing outside. “I don’t think this is going to get any better.”

  “Did you leave me any hot water?” she says, already doubtful. I always take the longest showers and the hot water heater here is small.

  “Yes,” I snap back. Wow, we are both bad tempered this morning. I go to change as she h
eads to the bathroom.

  It’s much cooler than yesterday, so I opt for a pair of sweats and a t-shirt. I doubt we are going anywhere in this weather anyway. I hate being stuck in the house. There isn’t much to do. Maybe that’s why I’m so cranky.

  We could play a never-ending game of Monopoly. I love the game, but I can only play it for so long. I wonder if there’s anyone out there that has ever finished a game.

  After looking around the cottage trying to figure out something to do, I grab the Monopoly, plop down on the couch, and flip around the channels. Brenda comes out dressed almost identical to me. Great minds think alike. “You still all crotchety?” I ask. Finding nothing on any of the regular channels, I go to the SiriusXM channels and leave it on the Blend. Pharrell’s Happy is playing. That song always makes me smile.

  “Yes, this sucks,” she grumbles.

  “It was bound to happen sooner or later.” I shrug. The weather has been uncharacteristically fantastic.

  “True,” she concedes. She slumps down on the couch next to me. “Monopoly, huh?”

  I nod as I take the pieces from the box and set up the board on the coffee table. She starts to say something, but I cut her off. “Yeah, I know. You want to be the car.” I look up with a smug smile across my face.

  She smiles and nods her head in agreement. She’s always the car. I choose the dog. As I hand out the startup money, she starts to speak.

  “So, tell me about Mr. Money Bags.”

  “What’s to tell?”

  “C’mon, you spent almost all day with him yesterday. What’s up?” She gives me a not so subtle spill-it smile. “And, I go first.” As she rolls the dice, she lands on and purchases Vermont Avenue.

  “I like him, but I feel guilty. I was with Evan so long . . .” I trail off.

  “Stop it right now,” she snaps. Animosity is written all over her face. “Didn’t we go through this last night? His infidelity was not your fault so stop punishing yourself. You deserve to be happy.”

  “I know but-” My roll. St. Charles Place for me.

  “But nothing,” she cuts me off. “You need to get back in the game.” I sigh. I know she’s right, but I can’t help but feel like I’m doing something wrong.